Out With the Old - Final E-mail of 2014

It was great to Skype with Sam on Christmas day. He's doing really well. I'll admit I teared up a couple of times, but overall the feeling was very positive and happy. The allotted 40 minutes was enough time to say what needed to be said without feeling rushed. It was my favorite part of Christmas! :) 

Here are his answers to a few of my questions in this week's letter:

How was the rest of your Christmas? What are your plans for New Year's Eve?

It was great! We ate food, and got more presents from members, and had fun. Then for New Year's Eve, we're going out and teaching still. Then on New Year's Day we have a mission party.

How was singing/playing at the visitor's center?

It was super cool and fun! All 250 of us singing at the same time. It was just really fun to sing with everyone. Then the violin playing went pretty well. Everyone said it was good.

What was your best experience this past week?

Probably this morning's personal study. I read my patriarchal blessing and it was really good to get a boost again. I felt like myself again! :D Hopefully I can keep it up! And also met with a less-active man again who said that the personality combination of Elder Moschetti, myself and Elder Osthed drew him out of his shell. He laid out the next steps he needs to take, and his ultimate goal is to return to the temple and marry a righteous woman there. Sweet! It's nice to see the influence you have on others sometimes.

Your worst?

Being so darn depressed with my weaknesses and mistakes! But I'm working on it. We created a plan to help. 1. Smile. 2. Faith: belief, action, power = confidence. 3. Think HAPPY thoughts! 4. Pray always.

What great lessons have you learned?

Cookies bring miracles. And you feel better about yourself when you work hard.

Love you!

Love,

Elder Stowell

Merry Christmas

I just wanted to share my testimony of Jesus Christ with you as my Christmas Gift. I've shared this with my friends, so I figured I should send it to my own mother too. :) I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer. He is the Son of God, and you are a beloved Daughter of God. I know that our Father in Heaven loves you so, so much, and knows you personally, and because He loves you so much He allowed his Son to suffer and die in the Atonement so that you could be cleansed from your sins and mistakes IF you follow Jesus Christ's teachings. I know that God has given us a modern-day prophet as He did in times of old. That is President Thomas S. Monson, who holds the sacred authority to guide the restored Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as God's mouthpiece on the earth today. I also testify that the Book of Mormon is, in conjunction to the Bible, God's word to us in these days to help guide us and give us knowledge of His plan for each of us in this life, and that if we read and pray about its message we can know for ourselves the truth of God's restored gospel. Finally, I testify that if we do His will in this life and follow His teachings, we will have eternal life with our Father in Heaven. My invitation to you is to read from the Book of Mormon, pray to God in Jesus Christ's name to ask Him if the message it contains is true, and ask if He loves you. I promise you He always answers prayers, even though it may not be on our timeline or in the way we expect.

Merry Christmas to you! :D

Love,

Elder Stowell

December in Mesa

Here are highlights from Sam's letter this week. :) Sorry it took me a few days to post it!

The [baptism and confirmation] were good! President and Sister Jenkins showed up for the baptism too. The whole thing went pretty well. Then for the confirmation, I did it, and it was nice. It's nice being a part of those sacred experiences. I did get to play violin for the baptism as well. And Elder Osthed and I shared "He Is The Gift" while A. got changed, and it was probably the most unified lesson we've ever taught. Yay!

[The Mesa Temple Christmas lights] were incredible! I went for the first time on Wednesday night, and even though there were over a thousand people there bustling about, there was just... peace. Such peace. I wanted to stay forever. And the lights were just amazing!!! Soooo many!!!! Really, it was an amazing experience. We get to go a couple more times with other people, too! Yay!!! :D

A cool member missionary experience...

One of our members absolutely loves us. As such, he goes out with us essentially every night. One day his neighbor asked to borrow his lawnmower, and he said she could use it in exchange for a lesson with us. She agreed to it, and eventually we got our lesson. Then another one. And we've been doing service for her every week. And now she has a baptismal date for January 31! The member was scared to talk with her, but he did and look at the result. He's our best member missionary! :D

We just have one or two places to go right now for Christmas. I'm sure that things will line up as it gets closer. I'm playing violin in our Christmas sacrament meeting next week, and again for a Christmas Village walk, and again for Christmas Day with the Mesa Missionary Choir. It's fun to play!

I love you all!

Love,

Elder Stowell

Share the Gift

President Jenkins has created a vision for the mission, which is AWESOME. It's super powerful, and we are enacting it immediately. The end goal is a mega-baptism month in March of 100 baptisms. We're starting with plans to fix faults with ourselves, then next month is a mega finding month, then February is mega teaching month. 

*Is A's baptism still on for this weekend?

YES! Which is AWESOME because he isn't smoking anymore and Elder Dickerson and I found him on splits 4 months ago and I have worked with him ever since! He's so excited!!!! 

*Best experience this week?

Best experience this week was with Brother R, a less active. We were sitting in the car outside of his house and decided that he was probably still at work, so we drove off. I felt that we needed to go back and knock, so we did and he answered and let us in. We shared "He Is The Gift" and it brought tears to his eyes, and as we talked he wanted to read the signs of Christ's birth in the Book of Mormon, which he hasn't read from the Book of Mormon in a loooong time. He loves the story of Samuel the Lamanite. So he decided to read the entire book of Helaman. Wow. Then he told us how much he loves having us in his home, and hugged us and still had tears in his eyes. I love that man.

*Worst experience?

Just being tired and getting a little frustrated with my companion and myself. But things are getting better. Oh, and I taught the Law of Chastity lesson in Gospel Principles. :P

*Have you had any good experiences with "Share the Gift"?

Absolutely! We use it for essentially every lesson. The above was probably the most visible good experience, but it's always a great message to share. We are allotted about 275 cards to pass out with it, and our challenge to those we teach is to "Share The Gift" :) We also pass out a lot of cards for the Mesa Temple Christmas Lights, which we get to go to on Wednesday! Yay!!!

*Do you know how much I love you? :)

Yeah. I see it more every week. :)

Along with that, I made a note to thank you for sending me out on a mission. I recognize more and more how much other people have to work and save to come out, but you paid for mine with the rental money*. Thank you, Mom and Dad. And thank you for getting me all prepped and helping me out so much. I love you both! :D

In other notes, the First Presidency Christmas Devotional was really good. It was nice to watch it in a recent convert's home. I was surprised that President Monson didn't speak though.

Well, we turn on the AC in the car... in December. It's super nice. Some days we get hot, especially when doing service. We also open the window and turn on the fans at night to keep cool. :)

I saw a sun dog (that cool circle around the sun and one of the bright spots on the side) and saw a giant circle around the moon.

 

We did a cool service project this week. We tore out bush stumps with our hands, and we got about half of them done in the 2 hours we were there. Some were stubborn and required a shovel, but we got a good workout from it!

There are some odd things here. For example, a bunch of (possibly illegal) Mexicans who stand in groups of about 20 on the corners or at gas stations. The people here, if they need manual labor, go to them and pick one up, bring them to their yard and the Mexican works, usually doing yard work. Then the person pays them whatever the person wants to and then takes the Mexican back. It's kinda sad, actually.

Here's a spiritual thought for the week. Read "The Lord's Wind" from the October 1993 General Conference. It makes me think about how Faith is the foundational principle of the gospel, and that without it nothing will ever move forward. The other principles of the Gospel are extensions on Faith. We must be willing to ACT on that faith. God is all-knowing and all-powerful. How could we not have Faith in Him? He loves us and knows exactly what is best for us. Therefore we must trust Him. Each of us must be the Lord's Wind.

Hope you have a great week! Love you! :D

Love,

Elder Stowell

*When the mission age was changed to 18, we realized it would be difficult for our boys to save enough money for a mission if they wanted to leave right away. We have some rental properties so we started a "Stowell Family Mission Fund" and our kids contribute 20% of their income to it and the rest is funded by rental income. The kids also help with the rentals.

Thanksgiving Week

I had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We had 4 dinners, 3 at members' houses and one with an investigator. Turkey bowl is INTENSE here. We get there, and some of the men are putting on their cleats. This ward is pretty athletic. It was flag football, and enough people showed up for 4 teams with about 8-10 people on each. People went hard. But it was super fun, and I got the most physical exercise I have gotten on my mission so far. I was sore the next couple of days though.

*Are you or your companion getting transferred? If so, where?

Nope! We're both staying! That means I'll hit my 6 month mark here! :)

*How are things going? Any promising investigators? Are you and your companion still teaching up a storm?

The work is good. We usually have a lesson or two every night, and we're still leading the zone in lessons (which isn't hard or good. Our zone is struggling right now. We have the lowest numbers zone in the mission.) A. is getting baptized on the 13th! I'm so glad that I get to be here for that. We don't have many others that we're consistently teaching right now that are progressing, but there are a couple here and there that we get a lesson with and they've gone well.

*What was your best experience this week?

Being a part of a particular blessing [where I really realized] the power of the priesthood. Never before have I seen a blessing of healing work so immediately. It was incredible, and I have new respect for the power which I hold. 

*Your worst?

Being in a particular lesson [where the man only wanted to argue] and the Spirit was simply gone. It was the worst feeling I've had in a long time. At the end of the lesson, I just felt empty and hopeless. ...It's hard to imagine what life must be like for those who do not have the gift of the Holy Ghost. Live your life worthy of its presence, because the alternative is what hell feels like.

I love you all! 

Love, 

Elder Stowell

Thoughts on Conversion, etc.

I recently taught a Priest's quorum on how to become more converted. Conversion is not a one-time thing, it is a lifelong process. Read "Converted Unto The Lord" by Elder Bednar, the section titled "Becoming Converted." Conversion comes as we "endure to the end." What is enduring to the end? A repeating process of having faith, which faith leads to action by repentance (or changing to align ourselves more with God's will), and then we partake of the sacrament to become clean from our mistakes and sins that we have repented of, and then by so doing worthily we receive a greater influence and witness of the Holy Ghost in our lives, then do the process again. In this way, by enduring to the end, we become more converted unto the Lord and His Gospel.

Ok. My bad. Transfer planning was this past week, but I didn't realize that it was a week early because of Thanksgiving. So I'll find out whether I go or stay. But thank you for your encouragement. :)

How did your baptism go? Did he get confirmed on Sunday?

The baptism went sooo well!!! He has a super strong testimony and is willing to do what he can to serve the Church and God. I had the privilege of confirming him a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and conferring upon him the Gift of the Holy Ghost. That was a very happy, peaceful experience. I smiled right after I said the words, "Receive the Holy Ghost." It just felt good. :)

What was your best experience this week? Your worst?

I had many great experiences this week. One was bad turned good. Things kinda came to a head between my companion and I, but through lots of talking, reading the scriptures and praying we are much better now. I love my mission. It teaches me so much about life. Also, the baptism and confirmation was awesome, we made cookies and got into so many doors with them, so many lessons, and we're leading the zone in lessons! The worst experience was meeting a man who served a mission and has not been to church in several years. He said he fully understands the church, and has found that he's happier not going to church than going. He still believes in it all, but he doesn't understand like he says he does. He didn't like us coming by, and doesn't really want us coming back again. I think of the quote "If Satan cannot get you to do what's wrong, he will get you to do nothing at all." Then doing wrong things come. But it's a good experience to learn from.

What have you learned?

I learned that if you let it, a mission can change you and how you live and treat others in the future. I learned that if you are not careful in your thinking and actions, Satan can lead you astray without you realizing it. Don't fall into that trap. I also learned that I can be positive if I try. Some days I just didn't feel like trying. I also learned that cookies bring miracles. :)

How was the 5K? (Did you die?) :) (Mom's note: Their mission ran a "Fit for the Kingdom 5K" today.)

The 5K was great! It didn't feel like a 5K. It felt more like 2 miles. I got 24:05 for my time - not shabby for overall. My goal was 21:40 or less, but that's ok. I got maybe 20th? That doesn't matter, but it was fun. My comp and I ran with BoMs in our hands - his was Russian, mine was English. We held them high as we sprinted to the finish. I was also able to help Elder Neville reach his goal. Man, that guy is a stud. 

As far as other things go, we did service for a handicapped man putting up his Christmas lights. On his roof. And you know how scared I am of heights. And even crazier... his roof was steep at one point, so to get the lights down the other side, Elder Osthed had to hold my ankles on one side of the roof while I was on my belly on the other. If he had let go, I would've gone right over the edge. Trust exercises are the best! :D Oh, the stupid things missionaries do...

Proof that he and his companion are getting along. :)

I've been asked to play violin a ton out here. I played for the baptism, I'm playing for a funeral. Lots of opportunities to play. I just wish I had a better violin. But I would not be allowed to use any other than a members'. Oh, I'm also singing for a Christmas devotional in December, and playing on Christmas night at the Mesa Temple Visitor's Center, and singing Christmas songs with the entire mission!!!! That's going to be beautiful!!!

Love you all!

Love, 

Elder Stowell

Four Months!

Yes, Sam hit his four month mark on Sunday, November 16. Admittedly, we've run into a few bumps in posting his weekly letters. Sometimes his letters are super short, a couple of them have been full of answers to our non-mission related questions, and one or two have been about difficulties that the whole world doesn't need access to. But I'm repenting and posting a few of his letters from the past several weeks. I'll try to be better from here on out. Life is good and Sam is giving it his all out there in Mesa! :)

The photo below was taken on October 13 by a friend of ours who used to live here, but now lives in Mesa. She saw Sam at a sandwich shop and texted this picture to her brother who then sent it to me. I forwarded it to Sam and he said that it was taken 1 1/2 hours earlier that day. Good news travels fast. :)

Here's a great quote from Sam's mission president about obedience:

Elders and Sisters, obedience means obedience. The principle, the attribute, and the commitment is to be obedient in all things, not to pick and choose what we will obey and what we won't. There is no such thing as disobeying "small" or "little" things. It is all disobedience and it always leads to big things. If we obey some things but disobey or ignore others, we are not blessed for being obedient missionaries because in reality---we are not obedient. There is spiritual and physical safety in being completely obedient to every mission and missionary rule and guideline and to every one of the Lord's commandments. Having agency does not give a person the 'right' to disobey. It may grant one the privilege, but God has never given anyone the right to do wrong. It is not in His nature, for He cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance. To intentionally disobey is to also intentionally agree to the full and complete consequences of the act of disobedience. It is impossible to choose one and not choose the other. We cannot pick up one end of the stick without also picking up the other. 

This is from Sam's letter on October 27 (with a new companion):

So this week was very different and busy. My new companion's name is Elder Osthed, and he's been out 16 months. He's from Meridian, Idaho. He was called to one of the Ukraine missions, but was evacuated as things got rough. He's been here for 6 months, and is exactly obedient to every jot and tittle. He's also a new Zone Leader in my zone. I'm glad that I get the opportunity to learn so much from him.

I've also been studying on pride. My Grandpa Elder Kirwan (that means his trainer's trainer) finished his mission and went home this past week, but I did get the opportunity to talk with him on any advice he had for me. He stressed the importance of stripping myself of pride. "Pride is the root of all sin." And it's so true. If we all humbled ourselves, so many problems of the world would not exist. So I have been working on stripping myself of pride, and I'm realizing how many different ways pride manifests itself.

Two weeks ago we did a musical number in sacrament meeting for Elder Moschetti's last Sunday in the area. He sang and I played violin with an accompanist, performing "I Stand All Amazed." It was beautiful, and due to time it ended up being the closing number.

I've been out 3 months! I'm so grateful to my Heavenly Father to be here, at this time, in this place, on a mission. It's such a growing experience and I'm learning so much. I want to keep improving and changing for the better.

How have you been? I'm so fat... :P Elder Osthed is super healthy. Protein shakes for breakfast and lunch, personal study on an exercise bike, get up at 5:50 to run then lift weights. I've been so tired. :P

Love you all! :)

Love,

Elder Stowell

From Sam's letter on November 10:

(In my letter to Sam, I asked him a bunch of questions (in italics below) which he asked me to continue as it helped him focus on what to write.)

How was your week? My week was full of exchanges. I didn't see Elder Osthed very much, but we still got a lot done. One day when I was on exchange and was in charge of our area, we didn't get a single lesson. The ones we had cancelled. But that's ok, because we went and found/contacted as many people as we could. Got anti-literature from one potential investigator. Then had an awesome ward party where we talked with pretty much everyone and met all the new people in our ward from the boundary change. Many people showed up late or didn't come because of the ASU game (we won :) ) It was a very busy week.

Are you teaching a lot? We usually have between 1-4 lessons a day. They're with all kinds of people - active members, less actives, recent converts, investigators, former investigators, etc. We usually have a member present for about half of the ones with LAs or Invs.

Do you do any tracting or is it all member contacts? We're not allowed to tract unless we have absolutely nothing else to do. Which hasn't ever happened. All those we teach are either from personal contacting on the streets or from referrals. Most if not all, though, are from personal contacting.

How is your companion? Elder Osthed is exactly obedient. He strives to do the best he can. He also knows what to do to fix a ward and implements those techniques from PMG to the best of his ability, which I didn't fully understand it needed fixing by us, but I guess that's because it's my first ward and I don't know anything else.

What was your best experience recently? This past week we had the opportunity to visit with A again several times. He is excited to meet with us and has told us to come back four times a week. He also said that he is almost ready to set a date for baptism after a few more visits and studies with us. :D

What was your worst? Being so darn depressed. I had let my weaknesses stop me, and let resentment build up between my companion and I. I felt like he was better than me, and therefore resented him. But we talked it out, how he felt, how I felt, and now we have an understanding of each other and are happier and more unified. :)

We got to go to the temple this past week. It's beautiful. We also had a ASL man in the session, so that was cool how things were adjusted for him.

The Visitor's Center does Christmas Lights every year. I'm excited to see them!!! Also, they have over 100 nativity sets from all over the world that they'll put out closer to Christmas. Sweet!

During one of my studies, I read through parts of the talks "The 4th Missionary" and "The Consecrated Missionary." I love how much the Lord has given me to encourage me and continue on in the work. I have many prayers behind me, and something I realized as I read these talks is that a large part of the reason I've been so depressed is because I'm focused on myself so much. I need to turn outward and serve those around me like it says in Elder Bednar's talk "Character of Christ." Just look for opportunities to serve, and then you find that you are not focused on yourself.

Love you all! :D Have a wonderful week!

Love,

Elder Stowell

From Sam's letter November 17 (yesterday):

The dedication (of the Phoenix Temple) was amazing!!!! :D It was broadcast to all the stake centers, so we went to ours which became an extension of the temple and required a special temple recommend. President Monson is very funny. He was at the cornerstone dedication and it was windy. His tie flew up by his face, and he looks down and says, "George! What are you doing? Get down there, George!" as he tucks his tie back into his suit coat. :) But the dedication was very, very cool and spiritual. I got to go to the first and second sessions of it.

Ok, in relation to cold, it was 50 DEGREES OUT THIS MORNING. IT WAS COLD. AND WE ALL FROZE AS WE HACKED EACH OTHER WITH FOAM SWORDS. We all went numb eventually it was just too cold.

Questions:

*Is your baptism still on for the 22nd? How did you meet?

Our baptism is still on for this Saturday the 22nd. He came up to us at church one day with his girlfriend who's a member, and said he wants to take the lessons so he can be baptized. Well ok! :D He asked me to do the confirmation.

*What was your best/happiest experience this past week?

 Zone Conference. President Jenkins spoke for an hour and a half on his personal studies of the past 3 months on The Doctrine of Christ. That topic can go so in depth, and it was incredible to see his comprehensive notes on it all. I felt like I was in a giant library, surrounded by knowledge. Then I went up to him afterwards, and he pulled me into a giant hug and apologized for how I'd been treated the past transfer (?), and told me that I am a wonderful missionary and to keep pushing on. I love him so much.

*When are your next transfers?

Next transfers are next Wednesday. We find out Saturday what happens. I'm kinda hoping that we both stay, because I recognize that Elder Osthed is extremely good for this ward. So much has changed and is better. I also want to stay in this ward, it being my first ward and I know and love everyone. Also, I recognize that I can learn a ton from him if I just get over myself. I think that is my biggest struggle right now. 

*What are you allowed to do on Thanksgiving?

We can't go out on Thanksgiving unless it's to an appt. Apparently we usually have 2-3 dinners, and I don't know who all we'll eat with yet. One is the D. family.

Thanks for all your letters. I like them*. :) 

Love you all. 

Love,

Elder Stowell

*We bombarded Sam with snail mail after a rough week. If you want to write him, address your letters:

Elder Samuel J. Stowell

Arizona Mesa Mission

2525 N. 32nd St.

Mesa, AZ 85213

Week Twelve: Finding Joy

This week I had the wonderful opportunity to see our investigator be baptized! It all went so smoothly. The thing that stood out the most to me, though, was her change in countenance. She had a lot of struggles in the past. But after she was baptized, she was so happy. There was a smile on her face from the moment she got there to the moment she left. When we visited her afterward and in the subsequent days, she was still smiling. She is so proud to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and recognized the joy that came from doing what was right. She even shared that joy with a non-member friend of hers!

How can each of us find that joy? We all face trials, struggles, and challenges. So where can we find the same joy this wonderful woman feels?

I personally have found joy by reading the scriptures. I have come to love the scriptures - read them, study them, and love them. I recognize a difference in my day when I haven't taken time to really soak in God's word for me. And the wonderful thing is, whenever I read, it seems that it all applies to my circumstance at the moment.

Alma, an ancient prophet in the Book of Mormon, explains how he found joy.

I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I do not glory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me; yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy.

 And behold, when I see many of my brethren truly penitent, and coming to the Lord their God, then is my soul filled with joy; then do I remember what the Lord has done for me, yea, even that he hath heard my prayer; yea, then do I remember his merciful arm which he extended towards me.

(Alma 29:9-10)

We each find joy by doing the things the Lord has commanded us to do. I love being here on a mission, because I know that I am growing and learning every day, and coming ever closer to feeling true joy. I hope that each of you will strive to be more obedient to the Lord's commandments, because that is how we find joy.

Week Eleven

Elder Nelson said,

"The Lord loves to use the unlikely to achieve the impossible." 

Every missionary here has loved that quote. Each of us in some way are weak, but as we put on the full Armor of God, the Lord can turn each of those weaknesses into strengths. We're only human, but we're also Sons and Daughters of a Heavenly King. We put on the Armor of God by praying many times daily, feasting on God's word, and doing His work on the earth. 

Something a man last night at dinner said to me was that in order to fully put on the Armor of God, we must read the scriptures, but even before that we must humble ourselves before God. We do that by kneeling before our Maker and counting the blessings He has given us. Then we realize how blessed we really are, are humbled, and then we are open to receiving the Spirit and personal revelation as we read the scriptures. I bear my testimony of the strengthening power of the Book of Mormon. I love it so much. It helps me put on the Armor of God everyday, and I pray that each of you will do the same. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

{Sam is doing great!! He's happy and definitely well fed. The members take very good care of their missionaries! He said the mission has a bad reputation of gaining a lot of weight so they are currently working toward a "Fit for the Kingdom 5K." That made me laugh and I can't really picture a fat Sam, but he said he's already gained 10 pounds... The ward he's working in just had some boundary changes so he has some new people to work with. He said he's finally adjusted to mission life and really loves the people he is serving. The picture below is from his recent "date night..."}

Week Ten

This weekend I had the privilege to meet and listen to Elder Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. The first thing that we all noticed is how chipper he is. He walked in, looked at us and said "Hello!" We each walked up and shook his hand. Afterward, I was privileged to play the violin for him with a quartet of singers.

He spoke on many topics, so I'll only touch on a couple of them. One interesting comment he made was that the Brethren don't care about the number of converts the missionaries get. They care about how many of the missionaries' grandchildren are sealed in the temple. He emphasized that the person who should change the most on a mission is the missionary. They really care about each and every one of us. Other things he said were "A busy missionary is a happy missionary," and he talked about how the Spirit of Elijah with family history work is an untapped reservoir of power that missionaries need to use.

He also talked about marriage, and opened it by saying "I know we're not supposed to talk about marriage while on your mission... but let's talk about marriage." He said that we should not pop the question unless we are sure that the girl loves God, then us. He cares that we become worthy and capable spouses and parents, because many people of today's society are not brought up in the way they need to be and he talked about how a mission will prepare you for marriage. I am blessed with wonderful parents who care for me and raised me well.

Elder Nelson is an amazing Apostle of God.

I'm happy that I am serving a mission of God, because it is an amazing, refining experience that will change and better me if I put my effort into it. I hope that all of you will do something to help hasten the work of salvation.

Love you all!

Elder Stowell

Some of the missionaries who helped with flood relief. Last week they bagged 8 tons of sand!

Week Nine

I asked Sam to decide what he wants on the blog each week so this is straight from him. I think this format will work much better instead of having me summarize or cut and paste. We're so glad he's doing so well!! 

This week we've seen miracles.

We've been helping with the flood victims in northern Mesa, and the damage is terrible. So many people have lost much of what they own, and some have to renovate much of their home. But within a couple days of the flood, missionaries were mobilized to help those in need. Then on Saturday, 230 of the 250 missionaries in Mesa Mission were gathered to help. We spent several hours tearing out walls, moving sandbags, and passing out flyers. The city got calls on how grateful the people were and how effective and happy the missionaries were as they helped. It feels so good just to serve and work hard.

Also, one of our investigators solidly committed to live the Word of Wisdom and at the end of the lesson dumped all of his tobacco into the garbage. Others we are teaching are also working on overcoming their addictions. It's great seeing people coming unto Christ, both alone and together with others. 

I'm grateful for the gospel in my life, the joy it brings me, and that others around me can see the joy from having that knowledge.

Have a great week!

Love,

Elder Stowell

Week Eight

Here are a few snippets from Sam's letter this week. This letter was one of his longer ones, but most of it was answering our questions or notes to the kids so there's not much to include here. But overall, he's doing really well and enjoying his experiences very much.

[Our investigator's] baptism is still on!!! :D He even got anti'd the other day, and stood up for himself and God. He's great! :)

We're also helping someone come back to activity. He came to church on Sunday, which hasn't happened for awhile. He really is amazing, and I hope he keeps pushing on.

Ok, so I get to play for Elder [Russell M.] Nelson, but they didn't have the sheet music for violin (it's a quartet of singers, violin and piano), so they told me to improv! So I did :) President likes it! I also got asked to play at a funeral on Saturday. Man, I SO wish I had Gramp's violin. 

Ok, fun stuff about Mesa. There are wild parrots here, saw a couple of them. It flooded today, and as we were driving saw someone kayaking in a flooded field, another person swimming, and someone arguing with a cop over their Jet-Skis at a flooded park :)

Lots of pranks on the new missionary. :P But they're funny. Just got hot sauce put in my root beer cup and I sipped it up my straw within an inch of my mouth. Fun stuff. :)

Love you all!

Love, Elder Stowell

Sam knows how much I love clouds so I'm pretty sure he sent this one for me! :)

Week Seven

An Arizona Sunset

Sam is working hard and playing hard! Whether it's laser tag on p-day, a very dusty service project, playing the violin in Sacrament Meeting or going on splits with other missionaries where he's the "senior companion" for a day, it sounds like he's super busy and very happy.  

Here's what he says about one of his investigators:

"Our investigator is golden. He accepts everything we tell him/give him, and just from reading the Restoration and Plan of Salvation pamphlet he knows more than me. Almost not kidding. He could be a missionary right now. He's so excited for his [baptismal] date of Sept. 20, and committed to live the Word of Wisdom the first night we asked. I love that guy."

Lessons learned and goals to improve: 

"I'm realizing how important planning is. If you have no plan, you do no work. If you do no work, you don't have the Spirit. If you don't have the Spirit, you don't find, teach, or baptize."

"I'm trying to work on Christ-Like attributes, particularly diligence, virtue, and charity. I remember Grandpa telling me that the secret of missionary work is to love the people, and I can definitely see that."

Love you!

Elder Stowell

Week Six: Revamping the Blog

Sam recently reviewed the "Online Missionary Work" guidelines and came across the following:

"Please ask your parents and family not to repost your emails home and not to post pictures, confidential information, or details about people you are teaching in their online blogs or on their Facebook pages. In your emails and letters, do not share confidential information about your investigators."

Well. That puts a damper on this blog, doesn't it?! I was already editing his e-mails to remove sensitive information, but in an effort to help Sam be exactly obedient, I will no longer be posting his letters. Instead, I will summarize his weekly updates in my own words. Hopefully it's better than nothing. Sorry about that!!

Sam's Martin side of the family will appreciate his borrowed tag in this picture. :)

This week...

Sam is obviously being well fed. I'm not sure exactly how much he weighed when he left, but he's already gained somewhere in the neighborhood of 10 pounds. At this rate, he'll be growing out of his clothes pretty quick! Yikes! 

On the plus side, he's getting a nice tan. :)

Sam had a couple of difficult "dark" days. He asked his companion to give him a blessing which was "very inspired" and it chased away the darkness. (He's definitely experienced some personal opposition in the past couple of weeks. There must be great things just ahead!) 

Sam is now using an iPad mini which is a lot more portable. I'm sure that will open up a lot of options for teaching and sharing the gospel. :)

Sam and his companion had 5 less-active members and 4 investigators at church on Sunday! Wow!!! One of those at church was a new investigator they just found last week who is very excited about the gospel. 

And my personal favorite: Thank you, Mom, for teaching me how to clean. It's so satisfying. I cleaned while Elder M. slept last P-Day. :)

Love,

Elder Stowell

Week Five

This week was interesting. I've come to realize that missionary work is just that - work!!! It's been pretty rough for awhile, and I've been struggling emotionally. Yesterday Elder M. sat me down and we ended up talking for nearly an hour. I came to realize how prideful and childish I was and was in tears. It's really been tough giving my all to the Lord and overcoming my shortcomings. But then, after I came to terms with it, and having been humbled by God and kneeling and praying to Him, He blessed us tremendously. 

We went to a dinner appointment right after our talk, and we ended up being there for 3 1/2 hours talking to the non-member who's member girlfriend was feeding us. He poured out his innermost fears and doubts, how he is a broken man inside but hides it. It was interesting to see how just a couple hours before I had a similar experience. He prayed for the first time in 20 years, and accepted a Book of Mormon and promised to read it cover to cover. He's happy to have us come back. It was a huge blessing.

We also found an investigator on Saturday night. We were feeling down, and then we found this guy who asked several questions about the church, almost like he was trying to trap/stump us. But the Spirit was there, and we shared the First Vision and the Restoration with him, and he said we could come back. Another great blessing. 

I've officially reached one month on the mission. :)

Have you seen the new Mormon Message about the man who overcame addiction? It's really good, and we've used it already with a returning member.

It's tough giving my all to God and leaving everything behind. One thing I miss the most is probably my music. That is very tough. I need to realize who I am as a Son of God. One great thing that really stood out to me was when we talked with the non-member last night. He said something that struck me. He said could I play him a C on the violin? I said yeah. He said this work that I do is just playing a C on the violin. I'm learning God's word so I can teach it. I'll know it just like I know a C. It's easy. No need to be afraid. I'm just playing a C on the violin. I really liked that analogy.

Sister Evans caught a little 2 1/2 inch striped gecko the other night. She brought it over to us, and she let me hold it. That helped me cheer up some, because I love lizards. It was so cool! :)

Love you!

Elder Stowell

{The Mormon Message Sam refers to is below. In Sam's Week Three letter, he referred to a talk by Elder Bednar called "The Character of Christ." I found a talk that may or may not be the one he heard, but it's at least similar and it is excellent! (Like seriously, you should read it!) A printable copy can be found here or you can listen to an audio version here.}

Week Four

Sam with his Mission President and Mission Mom

Ok. So this week was great. Elder M. is really pushing me, but making it fun at the same time, which is great. I met an investigating couple, one who is a self-proclaimed prophetess and her husband is a professional Santa with a mouth worse than a sailor. They're super nice though.

In sacrament meeting, there were three talks given by members who were moving in and moving out. They were on building faith, and very good, but the thing that stood out to me personally was the musical number. It was three girls about 11 years old, best friends, who were going to be split because of the move. They sang a beautiful song about the Savior, and their voices were so pure and on pitch. They even did harmony, and it was spot on. It really brought the Spirit in.

On Friday, Elder M. got a migraine and took a 4-hour nap. I finished a great personal study, then Elder Martin and Elder Dickerson came over to help me take care of Elder M. and help me with weekly planning.

Something I didn't mention last week that I learned... The average Arizona Mesa missionary gains 35 pounds. Yikes.

I've been present to find 11 new investigators so far... only one in our area though. It's amazing what happens when you open your mouth and trust in God.

The priests out here are awesome, they come out with us all the time.

We have bed bugs. My arms are covered with bites, and we got them from visiting an investigator's home with bed bugs. They're really small, and hide really well, so it's hard to see/get rid of them.

I went to the temple on Thursday. The Mesa Arizona temple was the 7th to be built, and is modeled after Solomon's temple. Some of the hallways are beautiful stonework, and it feels like you're walking through Solomon's ancient temple. It had been closed for a few weeks to finish some remodelings. I get to go there once a transfer.

The visitors' center next the temple is a great resource for investigators. We're so lucky to have it. It has been dedicated like the temple, which I found interesting to say the least. There is a nineteenth-century Christus in the lobby and I love it.

Life is good. Always tired. The missionaries rock. I played violin at my very first dinner appt. out here, and get to borrow it today to play during P-day. I'm super pumped about that. :)

Love you all!

Elder Stowell

Sam and his companion/trainer :)

Week Three: Somewhere in Mesa

Dinner with members on Sam's first day in Mesa. He's in good hands! :)

Sam is now in Arizona. He forgot to tell us exactly where he is serving, but I know it's somewhere in Mesa. His letter this week is super newsy and it sounds like he's doing really well. I'll stop worrying now... 

Dear Mom and Family,

Things are going well! I'll start from the end of my MTC experience to now.

The musical number went very, very well!!!! [Sam played a violin medley for a senior couples orientation at the MTC last week.] For our investigator, we did commit her to baptism, and she was actively trying to change necessary things before we left.

Ok. So the Sunday before we left, we watched the video "Character of Christ" which was given by Elder Bednar on Christmas Day several years ago. It's only shown at the MTC. It was the most amazing thing. The whole idea of it is about turning out instead of in, how we need to be as selfless as possible, no matter what we're going through. We need to serve with everything we have as the Savior did. An example is He suffered everything for us, and immediately after Gethsemane he was betrayed. Instead of asking why, or getting mad, he didn't think about Himself but turned outward and healed the man's ear. By losing ourselves in the service of others, we obtain the Character of Christ and find ourselves. It's incredible.

Sterling, yes, I smelled the tree. It legitimately smells like vanilla!!! Crazy! [There's a tree at the MTC that they say smells like vanilla or cream soda. Apparently it's true!]

I got up at 3:15 a.m. MTC time to get up and leave for the airport. We flew over the Grand Canyon (very cool).

Now. My trainer is legitimately the best missionary in the mission. Every missionary has said that about him to me. His name is Elder Moschetti (pronounced 'machete') and he is 24 years old and has been out for... 15 months? He leads by example, and wants to help me become the best missionary I can be.

I found 2 new investigators with him on the street. We take turns initiating conversation, and it was my turn. We walk up to these two girls, about age 19. They were smoking in their car, and as I walk up and start talking, one of them asked if we would pray for her. She's having a rough time with family matters, and so Elder M. explained the power of prayer, and asked if she would pray. She wasn't comfortable with that, so Elder M. said one first, then she did. When asked how she felt, she replied it felt like a great weight had been lifted off her shoulders. It's amazing to see the power of prayer. I then gave her a Book of Mormon and we set up an appointment for the elders whose area they are in. 

Then when I was on exchanges with another elder (my comp's a zone leader) I felt impressed to knock on a door behind us while we were visiting investigators. I did, and a little girl about age 12 answered. We talked briefly about Jesus Christ, and she smiled and said she believed in Jesus. A man rode up on his bike and just watched us as we talked. When we finished, we went by him, said hi, and he said he was her father. We set up another appointment for the sisters who are over that area. It was a family; the dad, his wife and I saw 3 kids. 

Testimony meeting went well. Both Elder M. and I bore our testimonies. 

We are visiting a 73 year old lady. She absolutely loves the missionaries. She smokes and doesn't have faith that she can quit forever. She picked her own baptismal date for Oct. 1!!! We visit her everyday, and we love her.

Ok. Impressions and thoughts and facts so far:

Tired 24/7. It's hot. Saguaros and other cacti everywhere you look. Also lots of palm trees. Our apartment has a gym. Members love us, pay for our food, give us food, feed us always. Almost always have a member present at planned lessons. Never go tracting. I need to learn to not be afraid to open my mouth. I sleep well. Writing in my journal everyday. Apartment is GOING TO GET CLEANED TODAY. It's disgusting. We spar with foam swords occasionally for morning exercise. Water is absolutely disgusting here, I bought bottled water today so I don't have to drink the tap water.

If I forgot anything, I'm sorry. Love you all!!!

Love,

Elder Stowell

P.S., There's an old man in the ward, absolutely adorable, but he was super anti-Mormon, then got Alzheimers and forgot he hated the church. Now he loves it :)